Free services and meals for veterans Friday

Thursday

All veterans are welcome to come to Schutte Park, at 10 Electric Ave. in Dover, this Friday to answer questions about VA benefits, get free haircuts and flu shots, enjoy a warm lunch and much more.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., veterans can take advantage of medical, housing, dental, behavioral health, employment and legal services, supported by various community organizations.

The annual outreach project is called a "stand down," which is a term used in the military when soldiers are able to relax and renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being, according to a letter written by Elizabeth A. Byers-Jiron, executive director of Delaware Veterans’ Stand Down.

Other veterans’ organizations like the Veterans’ Benefits Administration will provide claims clinics and answer questions about VA eligibility and benefits.

Mobile clinics and booths will be set up both outdoors and inside the John W. Pitts Recreation Center. This year, 110 vendors have signed up, said Suzzette Moore, co-chair of the Delaware Veterans’ Stand Down.

When veterans arrive, they will register with the VA medical center and receive a wristband, which will help the volunteers know how to best serve veterans who are homeless or transient.

At registration, veterans will receive a meal ticket for lunch served in the recreation center, as well as a T-shirt and bag on a first-come-first-serve basis. Other organizations will have giveaways throughout the day.

Veterans can enjoy breakfast or lunch and explore whichever services most interest them.

For anyone experiencing homelessness, military clothing will be available at the end of the event, Moore said.

This one-day Stand Down is organized entirely by volunteers and could use any support from the community, especially when preparing the hot meal for Friday. To donate, please send the donation to Veterans Awareness Center Foundation at 12385 Sussex Highway, Greenwood, DE 19950.